How do you get vegetables into a child who refuses them?

Expect it to take far more attempts than seems reasonable — research suggests it often takes ten to fifteen neutral exposures before acceptance, while most parents give up after three or four. What helps: serving a small amount alongside foods they already accept without comment or pressure, letting them see adults eating the same thing, involving them in preparation, and keeping your own reaction flat whether they eat it or not. What tends to backfire: bribery with dessert, forcing, and hiding vegetables exclusively, since that never builds acceptance of the actual food.